Stop Pfizer from Minimizing Fibromyalgia in their commercials

Dear Pfizer, Inc.:

We are writing to request a change in policy regarding your Lyrica commercials.  We believe that your commercials contribute to the stigma Fibromyalgia patients face and decrease the effectiveness of awareness efforts.  

Many people believe what they see on television and the internet, especially in advertising.  They assume that the FDA would not allow lies or misconceptions to be included in advertising. While your commercials do NOT lie to the public, they also do not fully express the severity of this condition, instead minimizing the vast amount of symptoms to "widespread pain".  

We, as a whole, strive to create awareness of the fact that our condition is NOT just "widespread pain", but a seemingly non-exhaustive list of symptoms, and co-morbid conditions each contributing to a very debilitating, complex condition. Please see:  http://www.fmaware.org/about-fibromyalgia/overlapping-conditions/; http://www.fmaware.org/about-fibromyalgia/symptoms/; http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_treatment.html; http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_ac.html and http://www.fmnetnews.com/fibro-basics/symptoms/common.

Those of us who suffer the condition can testify to the fact that the exhaustion that accompanies the pain is JUST as debilitating as the pain itself, as is the insomnia, vertigo and brain fog that we also experience on a frequent basis.  "Widespread pain" is just the beginning and minimal compared to the entire condition.

In addition to the condition itself, and the many co-morbid conditions that we face as Fibromyalgia sufferers, we are also plagued by the stigma from others.  Simply, put, many do not believe that Fibromyalgia is "that bad" and that we fake many, if not most of our symptoms, as well as the severity of them.  

Almost worse than having the condition itself, are the constant expectations put upon us by some friends and family members who believe this is just a pain condition that we should "suck up" and "push through".  Further complicating the problem is the verbal accusations we constantly face by those very same people and others who wrongly believe that Fibromyalgia itself is "fake".  Both of these issues create stress on it's victims, which, in turn exacerbates current symptoms and sometimes creates additional symptoms that we must face.

Your drug, Lyrica, does not claim to address any of the other symptoms; however, the average viewer also could assume from your commercials that your drug "fixes" the condition completely, which is far from true.  This contributes greatly to the stigma that we face and reduces the effectiveness of our efforts to create awareness of the severity of this condition.

Therefore, we ask that you cease the practice of minimizing our symptoms and the severity of our condition to "widespread pain" with your commercials and consider the effects your commercials are having on the lives of the vast amount of individuals that your drug, Lyrica, serves.  We suggest including a line that says something similar to, "Fibromyalgia is a complex condition with many symptoms that heavily impact the lives of those with it.  One of those symptoms is widespread pain," etc.

Sincerely;